Hands down the biggest weekend of the year in the South Bay, The International Surf Festival takes over the sand from Manhattan, to Hermosa to Redondo Beach! This 3 Day all sport, all welcome, all time event makes the U.S. Open of Surfing look like Kiddie Surf Camp.

The Beach Sport blow out kicks off with the Inter-Squad Lifeguard Championships, where L.A’s best push the limits of lifesaving competition. Exciting displays of tactical maneuvers by the U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter & L.A. County Lifeguard wow the audience of over 100,000. Try not to stare when these chiseled water-men grind out a 3 mile biathlon medley relay, paddle from pier to pier, and surf dory boats into the shore-break. A peaky chest high NZ swell is on tap for the weekend, so conditions should escalate the surf contest and the other aquatic competitions.

SWELL will be there for the “6 Man” Volleyball tournament to support our friends on team “El Geeter’s Barney Killers”. These guys ignore the ultra agro v-ball vibe. Instead, they dress in sizzling hot neons, joke around like the stooges, and let that mojo carry them to victory against hundreds of high strung ballers. Track down the court-side SWELL reps in the red white and blue hats and dig into their grab bag of free gear.

After the sun, come join the fun with South Bay’s own, SWELL sponsored band Tall Cans rocking Redondo at Kilkenny’s Irish Pub on the Redondo Pier. These South Bay punks get crowds on their feet, and receive national press for their on-stage antics. Did we mention that the Tall Cans boys are hell-men when it comes to charging heavy surf? Come to the party and look for the SWELL girls who will be stoking everyone out with more rad swag.

Don’t miss out on the South Bay Surf Fest this year because there’s something for everyone, and SWELL is coming to make sure you stay stoked.

The top wetsuit this year is undisputedly some combination of retro-inspired, bold, front zip, and un-solid black. Roxy team rider Kassia Meador was on-point with her signature wetsuits this season. Inspired by her life on the road, waves, the people she meets and places she visits along the way, each piece is designed/colored by Kassia, created to help you get out there and enjoy the ride.

On Saturday, the North County SD surf community woke up to find their 20′ surfing statue being devoured by a giant paper-mache Great White Shark. Hoards of people gathered, and rubber-necking drivers clogged the intersection of PCH & Chesterfield to witness this iconoclastic denunciation of the Cardiff Kook.

Since the “The Magic Carpet Ride” statue’s dedication in 2007, pranksters have dressed the limp-wristed logger in everything from luchadores leathers to Santa Claus suits. Local surfers can’t identify with the surfing symbol perched over their beloved breaks at the San Elijo Campground where Machado calls home. ” We don’t want to be Surf City like Huntington, and nothing about that eyesore symbolizes the Cardiff surf community.” Remarked Surfer/Womanizer Cornelious Rubenstein.

The anonymous culture-jammers attached a ballot to the shark titled “Keep The Shark, Not The Kook,” and hundreds signed within hours. According to police, the $120,000 statue has not been damaged and therefore no immediate action will be taken.

Pipes Local Jess Rocks the SWELL Hat at the Scene of the Crime

Great White Sharks symbolize real fears for beach-goers after a local swimmer was killed in 2008 just south of Cardiff. This could give the city cause to dismantle the Shark if they feel “the man in the grey suit” deters commerce from tourist seeking family friendly beaches.

Regardless of its fate, this protest against the poop-stance marks the most innovative display of rebellion among surfers. If you are the person behind the shark, share the details of how you secretly pulled this off, and SWELL will send you a huge box of gear.

Your core-score is through the roof my friend.

Left to Right: Local Ripper Pearl Rides the KOOK sometime last year;
Barack Supports the Shark on the Makeshift Ballot(!)